


If It Wasn't You

by Kinyth



Series: If It Wasn't You [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Human Kwami, Multi, Thief AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-05-03 07:58:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14564523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kinyth/pseuds/Kinyth
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Inspector in the area of the 21st arrondissement in Paris, starts her new job and will immediately be entrusted with her first case there. She is supposed to catch the notorious master thief Chat Noir. Something that nobody has ever done before.Will Marinette be able to catch the thief, or will he just remain a phantom for her? And why is a man appearing in Marinette's life right now, who turns everything upside down?A collab between yuuyanoart & me (kinythcosplay)





	1. Chapter 1

Artwork by AuroraLynne (tumblr)  
beta read by Mithos1987 and Dristi5683

 

Balancing a coffee cup in one hand, marinette fought her way through the early morning crowd on their way to work. In a sea of drab, dark coats and scarves, she stood out in her bright red cloak. The sun, just peeking over horizon, provided another touch of color to the drizzly day.

She glanced at her watch and bumped into someone, nearly losing hold of her cup. “Sorry,” she said to the person glaring daggers at her.

Marinette arrived at the police station and went straight to her new office, after she was told where to find it.

Leaving her coffee and her belongings there she went down the floor to report to her new boss, Valerie Bonheur, who was one of the youngest in the executive committee. It made Marinette a little nervous, but she reminded herself to calm down, at least this wasn’t a job interview, right?

The redheaded woman was focused on the monitor in front of her, and noticed Marinette just after several greetings.

"Oh, good morning, I’m sorry, this new case is holding us all in suspense, you must be Mlle Dupain-Cheng. I'm Mlle Bonheur. I guess you've already received the documents and read them, since this case is yours now... I bring you my full confidence that with your help, we will succeed in finally locking up Chat Noir."

Marinette nodded slightly. Her head was spinning from all the information and almost missed the invitation to sit down.

"Do you have any questions? Otherwise, we can start the morning meeting right ... "

The door flew open and Valerie was interrupted by a young man with bronzed skin and dark hair.

"Good morning, Mlle Bonheur, I brought you coffee ... and cookies!" He grinned broadly at his boss and it seemed that both were very familiar with each other.

"Good morning, M Anéantir, how many times have I told you that you should not come into my office without knocking?", she rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Every time I get in your office?”

She shot him a warning glance, but all he did was give her a big grin and shove the bag of cookies closer to her before he winked at Marinette and left the room.

"Sorry, that was Thomas Anéantir, our profiler, he's just...He bursts in at the worst moments."

"It's alright, I think it's very kind of him to bring you coffee and cookies." Valerie sighed but moved on. They were already a little late for the meeting.

Both women made their way to the conference room, where Marinette was introduced to her team. Soon after they came to their main topic: Chat Noir.

There were no useful hints who was hiding behind the mask of the black cat, just some blurry photos and recordings, but more than a build, hairstyle and an approximate age, could not be seen.

Even the stolen works of art seemed to have no connection at first glance and his forays seemed arbitrary. Since none of the pieces had surfaced to this day, it was assumed that Chat still kept them somewhere. How on earth could you catch a thief like him?  
"No matter how good he seems to be, he's just human, and humans make mistakes. He'll make a mistake someday and then we'll be there to catch him.."

Marinette said and glanced over to find a blond man at the door, his green eyes locked onto hers. For a second she lost her words. Was he a colleague?  
He waved at her before leaving and she shook her head to continue her speech.

Back in her office, she realized that her coffee had gone cold. Taking a deep breath, she took the cup and headed for the small kitchen.

On the way she saw the blonde man again, standing there, besieged by two colleagues trying to get an autograph from him, but he was really uncomfortable with that much attention.  
Marinette was so busy, taking in the Blondes appearance and asking herself if she’d seen him before, that she bumped into a coworker and spilled her cold coffee over both of them.

"Aaah! E-excuse me, I’m so sorry!"

“Nevermind. I have some spare clothes here. You never know what could happen to you at work," the orange-haired woman replied, adjusting her glasses.

"I'll fix it right away, again...I'm sorry! I'll pay the cleaning of your clothes of course!" Marinette assured, but the other woman stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"Don’t worry, I can get the stains out at home, just promise me to pay more attention on your way the next time"

“Promised!” the dark haired reassured and went to the kitchen to grab some towels. Back in the hallway she started to clean the mess up.

"May I help you?" The blonde asked and leaned in slightly to compensate for the size difference between him and the woman, crouched on the floor, who was trying to mop off the coffee there.

Oh God! Marinette was so embarrassed by this whole situation! Still, she didn’t refuse the stranger's help and gave him a few stealthy glances. She had to admit that he looked damned good.

Together they got rid of the coffee on the floor and Marinette thanked him over and over again, when the man caught a glimpse of her ruined blouse. "I'm sorry for the good piece." he pointed at the stains on it.

"It's not that tragic, I'm owning a functioning washing machine, so the spots will be gone soon." she said, trying not to stumble over her own words as she pulled the jacket together.

“I'm just glad that not more clothes have fallen victim to the coffee.”

He tilted his head slightly, then took his scarf from his neck and put it around hers. It was a piece of silk and cashmere. Marinette felt the soft fabric around her neck and followed it with her eyes as it fell over her décolleté, hiding the coffee stains and her cheeks turned red.

Was that really happening? Marinette felt like she was in a cheesy romance movie. All that was missing was that some breeze moved his hair slightly ....

"Much better, you can give it back to me the next time we will meet, but better without coffee." He smiled at her as his cell phone vibrated in his pocket, indicating that he was needed at the office.

"I have to go, duty calls. It was it nice to meet you, Mademoiselle ...?" There was a questioning undertone in his voice.

"Mademoiselle ....", she repeated the last part of his question, still unable to process everything he had said. It took a few seconds before she realized what he wanted from her.

"Dupain-Cheng! Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Today is my first day here," she replied, handing him her hand.

"Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng." He kept the friendly smile on his lips and took her hand to shake it.

"And you are?" Maybe she could also find out from which police station he came.

"Adrien Agreste is my name, I would love to spend some more time with you, but as I’ve already mentioned, I gotta go. Maybe there will be more time for a conversation next time." He apologized and made his way out of the police station.

Adrien Agreste ... The name remained in her memory for a while before she focused fully on the work again. For the rest of the day she was busy working on her new case.

Shortly before the end of her working time she received a message from her best friend Alya, who wanted to go for a drink with Nino tonight and invited her to join them. In addition, there should also be a friend of Nino there. Marinette pressed her lips together slightly.

That sounded like a new coupling attempt from Alya. Although she denied it and said that he was only rarely in Paris because of his position in a fashion company, Marinette couldn’t trust her. She had tried to pair the investigator too many times and each time it was a mess.  
Nevertheless, Alya managed to persuade her best friend to come along.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien had been caught in the morning bustle, but without any time constraints at all. His next meeting was scheduled for noon and as the Chief Operating Officer, and face of the Agreste fashion empire, he took his time to refresh old contacts. Contacts that had been useful to him whenever he was in Europe.

He pulled the collar of his winter coat up, and the scarf a little higher, but he still shivered briefly. Apparently, the jetsetter he was, he might have traveled the world for too long, forgetting how cold and gray Europe could be. Especially at this time of the year.

The green eyes of the young man wandered over the buildings surrounding him, as he imagined how he could use their features to get over Paris rooftops fast and without being seen.

He didn’t think like a pedestrian, who had all the time in the world to stop at a traffic light. He was thinking more like someone that Paris was trying to catch. Paris was still understated. His alter ego Chat Noir, a master thief, was known all over the world, always appearing somewhere, taking things he liked, just to disappear again, without leaving a hint.

Since somebody had crashed the side mirror of his car that morning, now, he was on his way to the police station. With a quiet pling, the door of the elevator opened, and the blonde continued on his way. Adrien spotted a small group of police officers in some kind of conference room, hanging on the lips of a dark-haired young lady. Unable to resist the temptation to listen to her through the half-opened door, he just stood there for a moment and looked at her.

She had jet black hair, that was almost bluish in the light of the neon tubes, a slender figure that made her look fragile. When she raised her head, looking in his direction, their eyes crossed for a moment, and he could see they were sky blue.

Adrien raised his hand with a short smile, forcing himself to move on so that he wasn’t staring at her any longer than necessary. He went the last steps down the corridor, before knocking on the door of one of the offices. Adrien was asked to sit down and wait, he did as he was told but let his gaze wander.

The blonde spotted a familiar face while he was waiting to prosecute, and when the other person recognized him, their eyes went wide and stared at him for a few seconds. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Adrien pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and signaled the black-haired man, who was still staring at him in disbelief, to answer his now ringing phone.

"Did you miss me Thomas?" Adrien laughed softly as the other one picked up the phone.

"What are you doing here, Adrien?” Yes, Plagg seemed very confused, because usually he had a cheeky, almost biting comment on his lips.

"I wanted to visit an old friend, one whom I have not seen for far too long, and maybe also to report the crashed side mirror of my car.” He paused to take a breath, trying not to let his amusement into his voice. “Somehow, I had the assumption that you would not have accepted my call if I called you without coming here to make sure you're picking up the phone..." The blonde grinned and leaned back in the chair he was sitting on, Thomas firmly in view.

"Joking aside, you probably know exactly why I'm here. I need your help Plagg." A conspiratorial expression had slipped on his lips, and again, he looked directly at the black-haired man in his office. "There's something I want, but I can’t do it without your help because you have access to the security monitoring system at the Louvre."

The police officer in the room with Adrien was too busy with another person to follow the call or its content. A few years ago, Chat Noir had already stolen something from an exhibit at the Louvre and he only got away with the help of his accomplice. Adrien suspected that the security arrangements had improved since that day, and that it was almost impossible to enter without any help, or to get out without it.

Plagg shook his head and gave him a stern look before replying. "You know, you shouldn’t call me that!" The man's voice had become a cautious whisper. "When will it be displayed?"

"Next week, on Thursday," Adrien muttered, giving the policeman in the room a friendly smile as he looked at the blonde. "You’ve got some time for a coffee later, or should I rather invite you to a cheese platter... 5 pm, usual shop?" He addressed his question again at Thomas.

He nodded curtly toward him through the glass. "We will talk about this later."

They said goodbye and Adrien was able to finish his report with the other officers. He stepped out of the office after he was done there, only to be a part of the scene that happened right in front of him.

"May I help you?" The blonde asked and leaned in slightly to compensate for the size difference between him and the woman, crouched on the floor, who was trying to mop up the coffee there. With his help it took no time to clean up the spilled coffee, and after a short introduction to the woman that caused this mess, Adrien had made his way back to work.

\-----

As soon as Adrien set foot in the tall, fully glazed building, the first employees were already buzzing around him.

"Adrien, we need your opinion on the new summer collection."

"Here, look at this Adrien! How can these amateurs send us such a model? We should have taken another one instead!"

"Adrien, the fabric selection date has been postponed to noon today and I've scheduled the appointment with M Perrin to 5:30 pm."

Sighing, he nodded to the guard at the front desk and then turned his attention to his staff.  
"I'll take care of the summer collection right away, put the pictures on my desk. The model fits in perfectly with what we wanted to achieve with the line, maybe just the selection of dresses is not working. Shoot it again. The fabric selection should be kept short, so I don’t have to keep M Perrin waiting." As fast as the three assistants had besieged him, they had disappeared again.

Between the fabric selection and his appointment with M Perrin, Adrien hurried out into the chill of the early evening. He was running late, hoping to get to the bistro and back within the next half an hour, and of course, in the meantime, seek a conversation with Plagg. On the way to the bistro, a message from Nino came in, his best friend since childhood, which caught his interest. The DJ wanted to know if Adrien would like to accompany him and his girlfriend for a drink later and Adrien agreed to meet his friend later, after his appointment.

The bell above the door of the small bistro ringed as Adrien opened it and a familiar black-haired man was waiting for him.

"Sorry if you had to wait, you know how busy it is without Félix and my father." He rolled his eyes and waved, coming closer. "I don’t have much time, I have to be at my next appointment by 5:30pm"

A quick glance through the bistro and Adrien pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket. He leaned conspiratorial towards Plagg and laid it on the table in front of the other.

"Did you hear that the Book of Hours is going to be exhibited in the Louvre? I'm not interested in the book, but I think that bookmark looks interesting. Do you think you'll get up-to-date information on the security systems installed in the Louvre? I have not been there for quite a while and honestly I don’t want to be seen there, it would be too risky."

With a sullen look, the black-haired followed the remarks. Why the Louvre, of all places? There were so many museums and exhibitions. But no! Mister 'I am the greatest master thief' had to choose exactly the best guarded museum. A long rumble was heard from Plagg and  
Adrien's well-groomed hands softly tapped a beat on the table as he looked at his partner.

"I'll trust this to you, Plagg, that's my current mobile number down there." A glance at the clock told him he didn’t have much time left so he took a sip of his cappuccino and then got up from the table. "Contact me as soon as you have information. We'll talk later." And with that he was already gone again.

Plagg stuck the note with the number into his pocket. How long had he stayed? 10 minutes? The black-haired man hissed and took a sip of his beer. He licked the white foam from his upper lip and sighed. Adrien was in such a hurry again, it would take him to the grave one day. That brat really had to learn how to switch off and treat himself with something nice. A good piece of camembert for example.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This took me so long to finish! I'm sorry, but translating something takes forever -sobs-  
> But hey! Here is chapter two :) Enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to emmaleewhittaker who did the beta reading for me <3 ILY Girl!


	3. Chapter 3

The ringing of the doorbell tore Marinette out of the nap she had taken after she came back from work. She stumbled through her apartment and arrived at the door just in time to open it for Alya before she could ring the bell again.

The brunette was in a good mood, and of course, she wanted to know everything about Marinette’s first day at work. Maybe it was wrong to tell her all, because the coffee story brought Alya's whim to a new high.

"So, on your first day at work you poured coffee on a colleague?” Alya laughed and rolled around on the sofa. "That's so you! But come on, put on something nice and let’s go, I don't want to run late." Alya pushed Marinette into her bedroom and tried to help her pick something to wear.

Finally finished, they left and took a few stops further into the city center on the subway. It was becoming cold again and Marinette’s dress hadn't been a good choice for this weather, but her cloak and the scarf kept her warm. It was the scarf Adrien gave her, and Alya had convinced her to wear it.

The two women arrived at the small bar. Soft music played in the background, the dimmed light and the tasteful interior attracted a lot of people.

"I'm really curious to see who Nino brings with him, he just said he has known him for a long time and he's cool."

"Maybe, but please Al... don't try to play the matchmaker again. I neither have the desire nor the time for your coupling attempts, ok?” Marinette begged and glanced at the door. Even if she didn't want to admit, she was a bit curious.

It took a few minutes before the door opened again. A cold breeze made it up to Marinette's calves, let her shiver slightly. The moment Alya saw her boyfriend, she rushed up to him to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips.

"Finally! I thought you guys got lost!" She quipped, then turned her gaze to her boyfriend’s companion and waved to the stranger. "Hey, I'm Alya, I'm Nino's girlfriend." She held out her hand to him for a greeting. "And wait, don't say anything, you're Adrien Agreste, right?" Of course, Alya knew exactly who she was dealing with, after all, she had not been a reporter for nothing.

"Easy to spot, right?" He grinned and returned the handshake before the brunette brought them to the table where Marinette was sitting. Marinette could see the surprise on Adrien’s face. "Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, what a happy surprise to see you here!" Adrien came around the table to shake Marinette’s hand as well, and both Alya and Nino literally dropped their jaws.

"M. Agreste, I didn't expect that, it's nice to see you again!" Marinette returned the handshake and smiled.

"You know each other?", The brunette shouted through half of the bar until Nino pressed his hand to her mouth.

“Shush! Alya! Sit down and then let them tell!" Her partner whispered and made her sit down. As soon as her butt had touched the seat, she leaned towards Marinette.

"You didn't tell me you knew him." Her eyes were almost reproachful.

"We just got to know each other today, or more like met fleetingly." Adrien answered the question.

"On this occasion, I can give you back your scarf," Marinette began, holding out the silky fabric she had just removed from her neck.

Adrien's green eyes looked down at the scarf and gently pushed it back towards her. "I think it fits in well with your outfit. You should keep it as a lucky charm, so that something like today won't happen again."

"But… I can't accept..."

Alya shushed her and shook her head. “I think she wanted to say, thank you, Adrien. Now tell us how you met!" Alya asked again and looked excitedly from one to the other.

Marinette pressed her lips slightly together. So, Nino would hear the embarrassing story too.  _ Great. _

"Knowing each other says too much. I spilled my coffee and M. Agr, ... Adrien, helped me mop it up. And because my blouse got dirty, he lent me his scarf. Again, thanks for that!" She directed her last words at the blonde and sighed when finished.

"You're welcome." A soft smile appeared on his lips.

"That's really typical for our Marinette." Nino chuckled and took an elbow from Alya's side. “It wasn't meant to sound bad!" He wailed and looked grumbling to Alya.

Marinette, on the other hand, used the time the couple argued to study Adrien closer. The fashion of Agreste Fashion was well known, his face too, but she never had seen Adrien that close before. He seemed to be nice and courteous, but still... she didn't know what to think of the good-looking model right next to her.

"And you two, why did you want to get out for a drink? Just because you had the urge to do so, or is there any ulterior motive? Except the usual ..." The dark-haired woman resumed the conversation.

"Come on, Marinette, we haven't seen you for ages and just wanted to spend some time with you, aren't we allowed to do so anymore? We can leave you at the police station next time you little workaholic! You've almost lived at the old one!" The brown-haired person threw her hands in the air and crossed them in front of her chest with a grunt.

"At least you could tell us about your new case. And yes... I know, no internal information, but how about a little hint." Alya winked at her friend.

"You know I can't tell you anything specific... the usual, I'm after a criminal." Marinette started.

"Is that really all? ... Come on, Marinette, is it a gang thing again, or extortion, terrorism, thieves, robbers, crooks?" Alya continued, probing her nails into the table with each question. Nino just shook his head, smiling, while Marinette sighed.

The dark-haired pursed her lips and looked aside. She really wasn't allowed to reveal anything, she could be fired if she did so and she didn’t want to risk that. On the other hand, these were her best friends. Adrien excluded. She only knew him since this morning.

"One of the last you said. Pick one, I don't have much after all, since I just got the case this morning.” She objected and hoped the brunette would be satisfied with this information.

"So, I guess it's about theft! And let me guess a name and if I am right, you tell us a little more? Please?"

"No matter how I answer that question, we're done with my work then! After all, you brought me here to distract me, didn't you?" Mari asked with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, agreed ..." There was a dramatic pause as Alya searched for something on her phone, which she finally held out to Marinette.

It was an article about the mysterious Chat Noir.

Several seconds passed before Marinette began to nod, stroking her forehead with her thumb and forefinger and sighed.

"Yes!" Alya gave some sort of soft triumph, while Adrien choked on his drink and coughed.

"Hey Bro, all right? No need to drink that fast, we won't take it away from you." Nino mocked him with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm alright," The blond-haired person said between the coughing and he was glad that Marinette assisted him and patted his back. "Sorry."

His best friend seemed to be enjoying himself and was trembling under the restrained laughter until Adrien kicked him under the table against the shin.

Returning to her original theme, Adrien turned to the woman next to him.

"Chat Noir is back in Paris and you're working on his case? That's impressive!" He admitted appreciatively. "I suppose not everyone will be assigned with such a big job. Congratulations on the promotion, if you may call it that."

"Well, thank you, I hope we can catch him, because… it seems like we’re not dealing with a normal thief here. He’s like a phantom..." Marinette shrugged.

"You just have to believe in your abilities, how do you encourage a team to do something that you do not believe in?" Adrien waved the rest of his drink lightly in his glass, watching the dark-haired woman.

She was the first woman entrusted with his case, and he was curious what she was capable of. He would give Plagg a few more days to get to know her better and then report back to him. At least that was his plan.

"Chat Noir? Congratulations on taking over the case Mari, I think we should celebrate your promotion!” Nino invited the others on a drink and already gave a waiter a signal before he suggested playing a game of pool in the back of the bar, while they waited for their drinks to arrive. Adrien, always in favor of a game, agreed immediately and Alya was not averse, so they outvoted Marinette easily.

"I'm for two against two!" Alya announced. "And since I can’t play against my own boyfriend, you two will have to form a team." She pointed at Marinette and Adrien and grinned. "I think you won’t mind, though, Marinette will be grateful for any help." She teased the young woman, her friend, and earned a brief, punishing look from her. But after all, Marinette knew that she was right. The teams were formed, the table prepared, and quickly the four of them were engrossed in the game.

Within the teams, they switched every round, so everyone had their turn. After Alya had finished the last one, it was Marinette and Adrien's turn, or rather just Mari’s. Adrien had watched her and her posture for a while now, and before she started her move, he approached her.

"Can I just give you a hint?" He asked, standing behind Marinette. His arms brought her into a better position by putting them around her and holding the cue together with her. "Look, if you continue to stretch your arm and lean forward just a little bit more, you have a better line to get the balls into the pockets." His voice was a low whisper on her ear and his body followed hers, until they were pressed together from chest to leg. The closeness, warmth, and the smell of his aftershave caused Marinette to shiver. She swallowed hard.  _ Damn it! Don’t blush! Don’t BLUSH! _

_ Shit. _ Her cheeks felt warm.

Marinette followed his movements and forced herself to stay calm. Although this situation was completely harmless, it made her heart beat faster.

"Alright, I'm trying." She whispered and embarrassingly failed not to look at the model behind her. He wanted to help her and nothing else! Besides, Adrien was very nice ... and handsome... charming, well behaved. _ Stop Marinette! _

Despite the instructions, Marinette missed the balls, which rolled unimpressed in a completely different direction than wanted.

"Sorry." She apologized immediately, straightened up and handed Adrien the cue, only to go directly to her glass and take a sip.

Adrien cleared his throat and took the cue from her. "Don’t worry, it's okay.” Marinette didn’t miss Nino’s and Alya's twin grins. Of course, her friends had not missed the scene, and only a high five between the two was missing. _These beasts!_ _They had planned something like that!_

Adrien and Marinette had no chance against the well-rehearsed team of Alya and Nino, and so they had to pay for the next round of alcohol. Before Marinette could grab her purse to pay for it Adrien had already paid. They continued their game and the beers were followed by a few other drinks. A few hours later, Adrien was the one who decided to break up their little game and get ready to leave.

"I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but some of us have to get out early tomorrow." He pointed at Marinette and himself and continued. "Maybe we should repeat the evening, but at the weekend, for today, I think it was enough."

"Yes, it would be nice if we could repeat it." Marinette smiled, and nodded in agreement with Adrien’s previous words. She was almost grateful that he broke up the round, since she couldn’t just say no to her friends.  They gathered their things together and left the bar to get on their own way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Chapter 3 is up for you guys :D  
> I enjoyed writing this chapter so much <3 It was fun to let the friends hang out together, having a few drinks and a lot of fun :)  
> A big hug to emmaleewhittaker who did the beta stuff again! She's an awesome writer so go and check her works!


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment, Adrien watched the woman leaving for the subway station, before he turned around and took a deep breath. Marinette was an incredible woman and Adrien felt more drunk than he really was. It wasn't because of the alcohol, he was drunk on the feelings this woman triggered in him. With a grin that almost reached around his head, he made his way to the next taxi rank.

It was not long before a taxi stopped in front of Adrien. He opened the door as the familiar smell hits his nostrils and almost forced him to jump backwards. Reluctantly, he got in and tried as best he could to inhale through the mouth to escape the stench.

"Well, you finally want to go home, I would at least expect you to tow the little Inspector, but I always forget that you're a gentleman..." Came a well-known voice from the front and as the taxi started moving.

"Plagg ..." grumbled Adrien and rolled his eyes. "I've only know her a day now and I'm not going to sleep with her!" The blonde protested, clinging to the handle as Plagg took a curve too sharply and lowered the accelerator even further down. "For your information: If you continue to drive like a maniac you'll kill us both before we even see the bookmark!"

"I thought you’d never leave the bar. Do you know how long I had to wait for you!?" Plagg ignored the blond's complaints, put a piece of cheese in his mouth and finally handed him some notes back, on which was the information requested by Adrien.

“It will be easier to steal the bookmark during the transport to the museum, there are more people around the book, but that should not be a problem for you. You have everything you need to know from the start, route and destination to the locks, security systems, security and transport trucks used, and yes, I know I'm fast, but at least I'm the best and have the best contacts."

Sure, at least he was part of the police and could easily get information like that. He had access to almost all data. And since he was supposed to catch Chat Noir, he had even more access to them. It was hard to concentrate on the documents, inebriated and with Plagg as driver, but after getting used to the swinging around it got better.

"You wouldn't have had to wait for me, the documents could have wait until tomorrow evening."

But yes, Adrien knew that his partner liked to boast about his speed and so he preferred to return to the documents as he mumbled to himself. "I'm not surprised at anything anymore."

Again, and again he let his eyes wander from one paper to the next and rubbed his chin. He felt the light stubble that graced his cheekbones, and the soft crackling of it was the only sound, as Plagg finally decided to shut up. "Book and bookmarks are transported separately?" Once again, he lifted the sheet of the vehicles and looked at the photos in the half-dark of the taxi. "What a waste of taxpayer money ..." Grumbled Adrien, and he finally put the papers on the seat next to him. "I want to take a look at the route... Maybe I should check it out tomorrow?" Plagg gave a short nod.

He had brought him home, to Adrien's surprise, without accidents, sheet metal damage, bounced pedestrians, or damaged street signs, and he was glad when he finally got out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride home..." The sheets in one hand and the key in the other he walked the long way from the front gate to the door. It felt like hundreds of miles, but it was only a few hundred meters. However, the drive and the alcohol had left their mark and Adrien's legs felt like jelly. God, one day he would kill Plagg, he was sure.

The longer the following day dragged on, the more eagerly the blond-haired person awaited the evening. He wanted to hunt across the rooftops of Paris, feel the wind in his hair and enjoy the lights of the city from the Eiffel Tower. He wanted to forget about the dark-haired girl for a moment, because all through the day she was haunting his head, distracting him from his job more than once. Even his colleagues didn't fail to notice that Adrien had his head somewhere else, which brought him more than a joke that day. At least that was better than bitchy models and grumpy photographers.

During his lunch break, he pulled out some of the documents Plagg had given him the night before. He had chosen the part that could not harm him, even if someone discovered the papers. A map of the city lay spread out in front of him, next to the prospectus of the Louvre. It almost seemed like he was planning a tour of the city to show the sights to a stranger, but his city tour served quite different purposes.

Adrien ran his finger along the streets and memorized every little alley, after all, he needed more than just one escape route. He preferred the classic maps, since opening maps from the Internet on his computer was too risky for him. His tracks were far too easy to trace.

The rest of his day was quite unspectacular, and after the last few hours were finally over, nothing could hold Adrien any longer. He had literally fled the building before he could've been stopped by his secretary or anyone else. A glimpse at the clock told him he had a few hours left until he wanted to meet with Plagg and so he grabbed that chance to look at the route. He reached a quiet side street and looked around, before he transformed there.

"Claws Out." Two words he had longed for all day. Two words that made him the world's most wanted thief. Two words that meant freedom for him, yet, connected to a great burden on his shoulders.

The black leather of his suit snuggled tight against his body like a second skin, following his movements effortlessly as his baton carried him up into the air and onto an adjoining house. The green cat eyes recognized the smallest details in every dark corner and Chat closed them for a moment to process the flood of information and impressions. Smells, sounds, pictures, everything poured into him, almost overwhelming him. How long had it been since he had jumped over the rooftops of Paris in this form without the passersby noticing him? Seemingly too long, and he would change that now.

The cat followed no particular path, and yet he was soon sitting in the shade of a chimney on the roof of a house not far from the Louvre.  
A stir on one of the neighboring roofs made him look up. What did somebody do on the roof at this time? Maybe he should take a closer look.

"There is not much to see down there, huh...?" Chat had sneaked up on velvet paws to the other person, true to the animal that gave him his skills and his name and was now sitting on a half-landing above the stranger.

The dark-haired woman, he'd seen the night before, Marinette. She stood on the roof below, binoculars in hand, whirling around in surprise as she heard his words. A big grin hit his lips as he lowered himself in a smooth motion and took her hand. With a slight bow, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

"Chat Noir, at your service My Lady. I'm surprised to see anyone out here at this time of the night."

"Oh, believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are." She replied, immediately removing her hand out of his grip. She was happy to forego such advances. "So, you're Chat Noir? I've read about you... Why are you here?" Marinette began, putting some distance between them by taking a few steps back on the roof. "And how did you find me? I haven’t been standing here that long." She inquired, which only made him smile wider.

"Asking so many questions at once, you're a curious one... But yes, I'm the infamous Chat Noir, the nightmare of all those whose belongings I'm after, the womanizer, the black phantom, the thief of the century and whatever the press likes to call me. Very pleased." He laughed and straightened up before crossing his arms over his chest.

"And how I found you? I think you can call it sixth sense or just good eyesight." His claw pointed at the roof from which he had discovered her. "How about you introduce yourself? I'd love to know who I'm dealing with."

His eyes wandered over the curious woman in front of him. He made every effort to counter each step she tried to get away from him, by taking step by step towards her, until she could no longer avoid him. When he asked for her name, she turned her head back to him, only to notice, that he was even closer to her than before.

"My name? I'm Inspector Dupain-Cheng and you better keep that name in mind, because I'll be the one to catch you."

Her words made him giggle until he realized that this wasn't meant to be a joke. "Oh, wait, so you're serious about that? I'm sorry to tell you, but no one has ever caught me before, as you can see. They've not even been close to doing so. So, I guess there won't be any difference this time." The blond-haired Person shrugged and tilted his head slightly.

He continued on, “And What makes you so sure? You think you'll find the ultimate cat trap?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, taking a quick gaze at the cat. Even if he was that close, she couldn't see any of the details of his face. No scars or freckles. His skin was flawless, and the black mask hid most of his other important facial features.

“Maybe. But don't think I can tell you anything about that.”

“Ohh... is it because you don't know me?” With a few steps he had surrounded her, only to stop in front of her again, where he held the keys to her police car, dangling before her eyes. “Or maybe, it’s because I'm a little kleptomaniac?” He smirked at her face of disbelief.

Her eyes widened in surprise and her hands searched in her pockets for the key. “What... How...? Give them back!” She grabbed the keys and pressed them against her chest, while she tried to fight back the surprise. "And, is the kitten back on a rampage today, or is it just roaming the area?"

The black cat put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment before a broad grin rippled the corners of his mouth. The glow of the lights around him made his eyes flash like a cat’s eyes as he tilted his head. With a final step, he overcame the little room that had been left between them and finally stood right in front of her, so she had to look up to him.

"Don't worry, the kitten doesn't feel like robbery today, it took some clearance to explore his territory." His fingers went under her chin and gently lifted her head.

“Your territory? This area has never been and never will be yours. And if I'm not mistaken, no one like myself has ever been after you, right?" He lowered his head until his face was only inches from hers and his lips almost brushed hers as he spoke.

"That's right, my territory. Maybe you haven't heard about it yet, but Paris has always been my favorite city and a little thief like me loves to be surrounded by all those pretty things. So be careful Inspector Dupain-Cheng, many have already tried to catch me, but so far, no one has succeeded." He heard her take a sharp breath.

"Then I'll probably be the first!" she promised, her voice a fierce whisper.

"No one has been able to stop me, and if you want to do that, you should remember, I'm a couple of years ahead of you." In the distance he heard the bells of Notre Dame tolling. His signal to go if he wanted to join Plagg. "It was an interesting encounter Mlle Dupain-Cheng, but unfortunately, duty calls. I wish you a pleasant evening."

"Don't get up to any nonsense! I'll find you!" She promised him before he vanished into the darkness with another bow.

He scurried across the rooftops until he was near an old warehouse through whose skylight he entered. Smoothly, he jumped on the floor of the hall and looked around. He changed back with a quiet "Claws in".

In the dark, he could finally make out the silhouette of the other man, who was perfectly camouflaged in his black clothes. Plagg was sitting on an old fridge, decorated with graffiti, putting a piece of Camembert in his mouth.

"Guess who I met while I was roaming through the city, your new colleague." Adrien broke the silence in the warehouse.

Contrary to his partner, he was dressed in a striking way, with his cream-colored chinos and the blue button-down shirt, but here in the half-dark of the run-down hall they had nothing to fear. Nobody would see them here. It was far outside the city and nobody cared about the warehouse anymore. The blond shoved his hands in his pockets and his gaze was fixed through the dim window panes at the fallow landscape outside the hall. The moon was just shining bright enough to illuminate the stubbly grass. He turned back to Plagg and listened to the other's words.

"Did she tried to catch you, or did you wrap her around your claw?" The black-haired asked curiously, pushing another big piece of camembert in his mouth, as if he was eating popcorn at the cinema.

"She was..." Adrien wondered how he should describe their meeting, but no matter how he tried to put it in words, it was not enough to describe the woman. "She was incredible." He began to rave and leaned against the fridge after he had stepped up to Plagg's side. "She is cheeky... and of course she threatened to catch me! I think this will be more than fun." He was looking forward for another meeting. "But it seems to me that she doesn't fall for Chat's charm… That, or she's just fucking shy."

"When you talk about her like that, it seems like you succumbed to her charm, you better leave your fingers off her or you'll probably get burned, my friend." Plagg warned the blonde and hopped off the fridge.

"Oh nonsense, you don't have to be afraid. I will not let her wrap me around her finger. After all, Chat hasn't acquired the reputation of the womanizer for nothing, sooner or later she will not be able to escape my claws." Adrien assured him with a wink and wiggle of his fingers. "Don't worry so much. I know my mission, and I will not rest until it's fulfilled. I can not let you or Felix down." And certainly not his mother, after all, she was the reason he and his brother ever started to play the role of Chat Noir.

Adrien followed after Plagg as he made his way in through a hidden corridor. Beneath the deserted hall was a huge bunker with exercise equipment, training areas and a few other items.

"Have you already told Felix about the hall?" Adrien asked.

"No, Felix doesn’t know about the Cat Cave, where is he right now? Shanghai? Beijing? Have not spoken to him for ages, and he complains to me every time we talk. No idea why..." Plagg grunted, looking offended, off to the side, like a little child.

"I have no idea why he's having a problem with you Plagg. Maybe he's just worried about us, you know, how, well, my brother is with his emotions..." Many would call Felix cold, but his brother was simply withdrawn and almost never showed his soul life to the outside world. Anyone who knew him, knew that Felix was a terrific person. "But Plagg, did you just call that thing a Cat Cave?"

Plagg grinned and dropped onto a sofa, standing against the wall overlooking the rest of the hall. "Maybe... But the most important thing is; stay away from the Inspector. She may be inexperienced, but that will change quickly, and I don't want to have to visit you in jail." He confessed. "That's why you have to stay away from her, you understand?”

The blond-haired person leaned against one of the massive pillars that held the weight of the ground above them, and silently looked at his partner for a moment. "I will take care of myself." He finally assured him.

"You underestimate her, your brother would not make that mistake. Luckily, he's far away and will not encounter her, at least for the time being." Plagg continued, folding his arms behind his head.

"Felix would not be impressed by her, because he has no interest in strangers, you should know that." Grumbled the young man, rolling his eyes. Felix had always been the one who acted thoughtfully and to him his job was more important than the fun you could have along the way. While Adrien was the one who had given them both the reputation of being a womanizer, it was Felix who made sure that her name made art collectors and the police tremble. Adrien told himself that it was because of the age difference between the two brothers.

"Maybe you are right, but still be careful Adrien." Plagg clapped the young man on the back and both looked out into the workout area, a mischievous glimmer in their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait what!?  
> Chapter 4 already? YES!   
> Guys I couldn't wait to post that chapter because I freaking love MariChat <3 
> 
> Thanks to Emma (again) because she's the best!


	5. Chapter 5

With a hot tea in hand she sat on her balcony and stared into the night. Only her head and the cup peeked out of the thick blanket she had wrapped herself in. She had so many thoughts and questions in her mind and she didn't know where to start. But she had done well today, she hadn't expected to meet Chat Noir. This miserable cat, who thought he was better or cleverer than anybody else. What an arrogant cat. She had tried to memorize something, anything she could use to find him, but except for things she already knew, she couldn't add anything new.

With a sigh, she decided to go to bed for today. But not without a last glance at her phone. No new message. At least not the one she was waiting for. Adrien probably had a lot to do or forgot to write.

\---

The following day, she told her team about the little meeting with Chat Noir and instructed them to follow up on every little clue. She knew that he was planning a heist again and had spied on the area, but still they had no idea what he was after.

"I think we should watch the objects that'll come to Paris in the next weeks, or will be displayed here, since he came back just in time for a few exhibitions to start. Focus on those pieces... And he was roaming the area of the Louvre, so I guess it's something from an exhibition there."

A soft knock caught Marinette's attention. Valerie was standing in the doorframe, her lips pressed firmly together. She seemed angry, but still tried to stay calm.

"Guys... We're getting help." Marinette’s colleagues groaned. "What... isn't help something good?" The young woman was confused.

Valerie shook her head. "Not that kind of help. The FBI wants to send us their Special Agents. This means we'll have a lot more pressure on us to catch that thief."

"They're always sneaking around, annoying the hell out of people..." One of her coworkers mumbled and the rest of the team nodded or chuckled.

"So, you know what this means! We must catch him before the FBI gets here. I don't want them to read our files, since we worked so hard on them." Everyone agreed, and the team finally split up, so they could go back to work.

\---  
The busy day ended, and even at home, Marinette's thoughts continued circling around the cat's case. So, she tried to ban the thoughts of that man from her head, at least for a few minutes.

Marinette decided to go jogging. It was common for her to jog around the streets currently and the park a little further out was worth the little detour today.

Plagg had chased out Adrien at the same time for a similar reason. He needed to get a clear head too, but this was something Marinette couldn't know.

For a while there was only her, the music, and the road she jogged along. The rhythmic music accompanied her, guiding her steps forward. It was just the feeling of the cool air that blew over her skin and poured into her lungs. Nothing else except from the sound to her right, which she could hear despite the music. It drew her attention, not very cunning given the curve and the already dim light. She hit something, or rather someone, and stumbled back a bit. Surely, she would have lost her balance if the other person wouldn't have grabbed her wrist to catch her.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention! I'm sorry! Are you okay?", She immediately started to inquire about the condition of the other person. But when she looked up, she fell silent and her blue eyes widened.

"A-Adrien ?!" She stuttered, her blue eyes staring at him in disbelief.

"Marinette! What are you doing out here at that time of the day? Okay wait... that was a stupid question ... I mean, it's clear what you're doing out here." He pointed to her and immediately felt as if he had offended her. "Not that you look bad right now, just ... generally ... ever ..."

So, either the situation was uncomfortable for him, or he was just as nervous as she was. She couldn't blame him for his question. The fact that he then continued to stumble over his own words, finally brought her to chuckle quietly.

"Sorry." Embarrassed, he ran his hand over his neck and then looked up again from the gravel path, which he had been staring at for too long. "And sorry that I haven't send you a message. I haven't been home, the first time was yesterday, and I had your card in my pocket and somehow all my employees wanted something from me at the same time, so work was kind of busy. I hope you're not angry at me." An apologetic smile crept on his face and he looked like a little puppy.

“No, it's no problem." She smiled sheepishly.

"Can I take you out on a cup of coffee, as an apology? Because I wanted to invite you to have lunch together tomorrow, but you didn't answer my message, so I thought you might be angry.... Only if you have the time for it." The blond stammered like a teenager and finally shut his mouth to keep the situation from getting worse.

"Of course! I'd love to!", Marinette almost squealed. Surprised by her own reaction, she pressed her lips together and avoided Adrien's gaze. “I mean, it would be nice... but unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly when I can take a break." She tried again to build up eye contact, but the green of his eyes seemed to hypnotize her, and she looked away again. Why are you acting like a fifteen year old girl Marinette? Her inner voice almost screamed at her.

"You're serious?" His face light up as she accepted his invitation. "That's not a problem, I can take a break whenever I want to, and don't worry about it, I don't have fixed dates tomorrow, so I can totally focus on you. I mean the lunch..."

"But I could send you a message, if you're flexible... You'll probably have a lot of work to do tomorrow and I don't want you to have more trouble because of me. Please don't get it wrong, this isn't an attempt to deny your invitation... I really just don't want it to be more stressful than anything else, otherwise we could have met in the evening, if that suits you better?"

Adrien put his index finger on her lips to stop her from stuttering again and she stopped immediately. This gesture was somehow intimate and made her heart beat faster.

"Tomorrow. Noon. You'll call whenever you have some spare time. Just let me know and I'll be there."

"I-alright, tomorrow... lunch time, I promise." She whispered finally, stiffening as his face came closer, almost as if he wanted to kiss her farewell on the cheek, but before he could continue his movement, he paused. Looking down at Marinette in irritation before turning his head aside. Not that it was a bad thing for Marinette to get a kiss from him, even if it was just a kiss on the cheek, but that was something so unexpected.

Maybe after a nice evening…

"See you tomorrow Marinette. Take care and leave the bad guys alone." He told her with a bright red face and a small wink, he quickly resuming his way through the park in another direction than the women probably would go.

Marinette was standing there as if she was in a trance. Adrien had already said goodbye, but she was still here, looking at the spot he had been standing before. Her heart was racing, and she had butterflies in her stomach. It was as if his finger was still on her lips.

It was the sounds of the church bells, that released her from her stupor. How long had she just investigated the void and stood in the middle of the way? Quickly Marinette started to jog home, with a smile on her face. The way home seemed much shorter than normal. When she reached her front door, she wondered if she had run the entire route or fallen through some wormhole. Of course, she knew the answer, but the memory of the blonde had taken her completely. With that comforting warm feeling in her stomach, she finally fell asleep. She couldn't wait to meet him again. Forgotten all the thoughts of a stupid alley cat.

\---

The weather the next day was more than uncomfortable. It was freezing cold and rainy. Marinette was very glad she had her big hood and Adrien's scarf, while she waited for the blonde in the protected entrance area of the police station. Her eyes lit up as she saw him get out of a car. She approached the model, so he wouldn't have to walk that far through the rain.

"Hey!" He waved at her before he reached her and laughed.

"Hey," She replied as well, holding her hood so she would not blow backwards.

“, I wanted to have a picnic with you, but I think that won't work, since the weather looks like it's a little too wet outside.... But I've been able to reserve a table in a good burger restaurant in the city, so I hope you're in the mood for burgers. " His hand went to her back and he led her through the rain to his car.

“Yeah, that might not work, but a burger sounds terrific!" She agreed. Arriving in the car, she was greeted by a warm seat, in which she immediately cuddled into and sighed pleasantly.

"I'm really sorry, it was getting so late, but there was far too much to do today." She told him, sighing softly.

"It's alright, I took the time to finally make the pre-selection for the fabrics, so it worked just fine, and we're here now, so no excuses, work just happens."

"I don't know if Nino has already talked to you, but I have not told Alya that we're meeting, she'll just be so curious again... I feel like I always must report to her. I would prefer, if we could keep this... here." Marinette pointed to herself and Adrien, "If we could keep it for us first, I mean... we'll see each other for the third time... ehm, fourth time and I don't want to raise suspicions." She confessed, hoping he was not getting the wrong idea. It was not that she wouldn't talk to Alya about it. She would love to have someone to share her feelings with, but since she didn't know what was going on between her and Adrien, she preferred to keep silent.

"No problem, I won't say anything to Nino, because he can be as curious as Alya." Adrien laughed, shaking his head. Slowly, he believed that the two had missed their jobs and were better off as private detectives.

The lights of the streetlights reflected off the wet asphalt in front of them and fused into a soft shimmer on the dull-black hood of the car. It took a while, but finally they arrived in the restaurant parking lot.

After parking, they walked side by side into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by one of the waiters. Everything about this place was inviting and she was curious if the reputation of the restaurant was true. She had heard about it from Alya before.  
"Agreste, table for two." The waiter glanced at his book, nodded, and led them into a cozy niche of the restaurant. Adrien helped Marinette out of her jacket and took off his own to hand it over to the waiting waiter and it took almost no time before they had the menus in which they could browse. The blonde’s decision was quick, and he just waited for Marinette to find something she wanted to eat.

"I'm really glad that our lunch worked and that we're here, but what if we get photographed by one of those annoying paparazzi... How should I behave? I had to give a press conference once, but that's something completely different after all. I guess I’ll stay with 'no comment'?" She was nervous and slightly hiding behind her menu.

"If we're going to be photographed, then it doesn't matter, we don't need to worry, the owner doesn't allow cameras or videos, so you should refrain from taking pictures here." He winked at her. "And 'No comment' seems like an admission of guilt, didn't they teach that at the police school?" Adrien glanced over his shoulder.

"If it really comes to that, you just say we're old acquaintances who had a lot to catch up after so many years." Of course, the gossip press would still rip them apart, but at least the blonde was used to it.

"And you really didn't know me before that evening in the bar? Although every fifth poster shows my face? Great, I think that's really great!" He laughed, presenting his gleaming white teeth and a glittering in the peridot-green eyes. "But it's not that bad either, I'm happy if not everyone knows me, which makes it a lot easier."

"No, I think I'm always walking around blind. Since I had the dream of going into the police force from early on, my interests differ from other girls at my age. Well, if I had known you through the media before, I probably would not have said a word, when we first met." She confessed honestly and smiled. She tried to be brave, to say what she thought without saying too much. It was difficult for her. Again, and again she had to search for the right words.

"I admire people who can make their dream come true, it's something I've never been able to do, my dream wasn't to work in my father's company, but at some point, you can't change things like that and it's not that bad after all. The burgers arrived, and the dark-haired woman inhaled the scent deeply before glancing at Adrien.

The two talked until their plates had were cleared and their glasses were ending. She told Adrien about her parent’s bakery and that even today, she still loved cooking and baking, two of her favorite hobbies, besides sports. She even suggested they go jogging together, as they seemed to be both took care to stay healthy and after all, it was time they could spend together.

"Do you still have to work today?" She asked at some point. Marinette seriously considered inviting him for a coffee, but she was worried that she might act too hastily. They wanted to get to know each other first and that might have set the wrong signals.

"For today I'm done, unless someone comes up with the idea to send a message because somewhere in Morocco, a photo shoot didn't go as it was supposed to." He shrugged. It still was his job, so he couldn't just ignore things like that. "And you earned your free time, I suspect?" The waiter came to them after the blonde had signaled to him that they wanted to pay. He glanced at the bill in a folder, filled in a check, put it in, and tucked the checkbook back into the pocket of his jacket.

"Let's just hope there won't be something like that. And yes, I think I deserve my free time this evening. To be honest, I'm glad to be lying on the couch in my slacks at home and be able to put my feet up, maybe a movie until I'll go to bed.” She confirmed and waited until Adrien started to stand, he offered her a hand.

"I think we're good to go. I'll take you home." It wasn't really a question, more a conclusion.

“I would love to accept your kind offer since the weather isn't that great and I'm looking forward for the heated seats!", Marinette answered with a big grin, while Adrien helped into her jacket. He really was a gentleman. She acknowledged his gestures with a grateful smile and slipped into the dull black car. The rain had eased a bit and their drive home was almost unspectacular, because they were both tired of a long day at work.

When they reached her front door, he turned off the engine and looked across the center console at Marinette. "So, it's time to say goodbye?" She was sad that this evening would end here and now, but it was their first real date without anyone around and she doesn't want it to go further than that. But still she wanted to spend so much more time with him.

"I think so..." She said, expressing while she had enjoyed the evening, but also that she would not continue to besiege him. The next meeting would come, even if it was just jogging with him in the evenings.

"Thank you for bringing me home and of course the whole evening, it was great."

"Glad you liked it."

She said goodbye and was not sure which gesture she should choose exactly. A handshake was already too impersonal, but a hug maybe was already too intrusive. Quickly she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to the blonde, pressing a gentle peck on his cheek.

"Then we'll get in touch if you want to go jogging."

With a fluttering heart and an exhilaration that she hadn't experienced in a long time, she left the confines of the car and went into her apartment. It was just amazing how everything developed. So much had happened in her life. At work and now also the thing with Adrien. Maybe she finally had some luck.

To calm down from her high, she watched a movie that was on one of the channels. At the same time, she searched for the Agreste Empire on the internet. Gabriel Agreste, Adrien’s father, was the chief executive. He had set up the company. Adrien followed in his footsteps, while the firm also employed his brother, but far from being in the same position as Adrien. When it finally went too far into the family history of the Agrestes, she turned off her tablet. She didn't want to know more about his family, not like that. She felt like she was spying on him, she would rather hear about his life personally from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the last few days I've been working on two chapters, two side stories and a bunch of other stuff and I hope to get a lot more done before I'm going on vacation in august (and have to finish my cosplay before gamescom -sobs-)  
> So I hope you guys like the new chapter :)
> 
> As always a big 'Thank you' to my Inspo Queen and beta reader emmaleewhittaker <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another MariChat chapter~  
> Enjoy <3
> 
> As always a big shoutout to my girl Emmaleewhittaker for being the best beta ever <3

The last time Adrien had seen Marinette felt like an eternity, but he had to put time with her off repeatedly. The preparations for Fashion Week, the new collections, meetings, castings, photo shoots, his training with Plagg, that all he had to squeeze into a 24-hour day. Sometimes he just wished for his bed at home in the mansion, but in the last week he had literally lived at the company. He was there from morning till late at night, and only the few messages he exchanged with Marinette brought some sunshine into his miserable everyday life. Even Nino already accused him of being neglecting him and threatened to kick him out of the office if he wouldn't find time for him soon. Maybe he could sneak out for at least a couple of hours in the next few days.

The news of a serious accident on a bridge reached Adrien as he was on the way to the training hall. It reported on a bus and several vehicles, which were preserved only by the bridge railing from the crash. He didn’t hesitate long and transformed himself before using his baton to advance to the rooftops. He didn’t know exactly why he was making his way there, but it was as if something was calling to him. Something he could not pinpoint.  
He reached the bridge after a short time and the chaos that reigned there was huge. Chat jumped on a lantern to get a brief overview. It was even worse than the media could describe, and he didn't know where to start helping people. He didn't even know why he was here at all.

The green eyes wandered over the scene of the accident and his eyes remained on the bus. What he saw made his breath falter. It couldn't be true! In the back he recognized a person he had certainly not expected and certainly would have preferred to find somewhere else than here. The other person, Marinette, held a little girl pressed to her chest and tried to get her out of the bus to save her. He couldn't wait for the rescue teams to arrive and rescue them. He had to do something by himself.

He took the baton, shoved it under an intact part of the railing and let it out so far that he could reach the rear of the bus. Like a tightrope walker, he balanced on the staff to its top, crouched down and leaned forward so he was closer to the vehicle. He carefully opened the door with one hand and held out his hand to Marinette.

"Come on, I'll get you two out of here."

"Chat Noir?!" Marinette seemed puzzled to see him here, but she didn't bother to ask and held out the girl to him.

He quickly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "I got you, don’t worry."

A metallic squeak drew his gaze to the railing. That's not good! He swore inside and as fast as he could he brought the girl back to the bridge, before he once again made his way over his baton. For the second time, he reached out, to grab Marinette’s hand this time. He hauled her into his arms and pressed her against his body. He could feel her heart hammering against her chest and see the fear in her eyes. “Just a few meters and we’re save.” 

Before he could make his way back to the girl and the safe part of the bridge, the railing gave way and he and Marinette fell into the depths. Below them, the cold Seine.

The blonde pressed the woman to him and turned around, so that he would hit the water surface with his back first. His suit was supposed to ease the fall. At least he hoped so. Despite all this, the impact was hard, squeezing the air out of the cat's lungs. Paired with the cold, he lost his orientation for a second, but he brought himself, and Marinette, back to the much-needed air. With her arms around his neck, he paddled to the shore and stepped out of the water, trembling and with clattering teeth. Like a dog, he shook the water out of his hair and wiped the last remnants from his eyes and face. He stifled a groan as he saw the men in uniform rushing toward them.

"We have to get out of here. Even if I want to catch you, it would not feel right, now." Marinette told him, and Chat took his baton to bring them to one of the surrounding rooftops, just in time before the police officers and the press could see them. Sure, Chat had saved her, but he was still a wanted criminal, and her, a detective. He released her on the next roof and she looked at him hesitantly. He didn't quite know what to do or say. Her whole behavior was just more than contradictory.

"That was brave of you, you could have gone on about it, but you saved me, and that little girl. Why did you do it?” She asked and stayed at a certain distance from him.

"It wasn't brave, more like... freaking stupid." He already knew he could hear that from Plagg in the next few days. If he had expected everything, it certainly would not have been her reaction. Calling him brave and all, he couldn't just ignore her and the accident, Chat wouldn't tell her that, yet, so he tried to change the subject. "By the way… Thanks for asking, I'm fine, you're very welcome to check by yourself." He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a lascivious look from the green cat's eyes.

“No one expected you to play the hero, and I don't think the police will change their opinion about you..." Of course, Chat couldn't keep his cheeky grin in such a situation.

"What do I care about the opinion of the police?" He shrugged and took a few steps toward her. "It was not about revitalizing my reputation, there were people who needed my help and I was the only one who could help them at the moment, that's why." He was only a few inches away from her and while his left hand grabbed her wrist, he put his right at her chin, like he had done a few nights ago. "But you better tell me why you're helping me..." Without taking his eyes off her, he urged her backward until she stumbled against a wall and was locked in between it and the cat.

"You had the chance to hand me over to them...” Chat’s thumb followed the delicate line of her chin. "But instead, you helped me escape." His finger kept wandering until he reached her lip. "And I thought you were the one who wanted to catch me. Do you think that was the right decision?"

"You helped us, and that was the right thing to do. And for me it was the right thing not to hand you over since you helped me." She explained, her eyes still focused on him. "But it seems you're good to go and I should overthink my decision... " She threatened to change her mind. A claw stroked her tender pink lips carefully before he abruptly turned away from her. He had to stay away from her. That was what Plagg had advised him to do. Marinette could become dangerous for him and his mission.

"We should go before we get ourselves killed." A cold breeze made him shiver again and he felt his lips tremble, so he pressed them tightly together.

"Yeah, we should. Next time I won't let you get away that easily, I hope you realize that you owe me that!" His eyebrows shot up in surprise. So, she had a weakness and it was called helpfulness.

"So... I owe you something... Don’t you think it's the other way around? After all, I saved you." Another gust of wind caused him to move away from her and their eyes met for a final time. It was as if they both didn't know how to deal with the situation and when the first voices reached the roof, he realized that he had to disappeared from there. He couldn't let himself get caught by them now. And he needed a hot shower in the training hall.

Meanwhile, Plagg had seen the news and was more than mad about what he had seen. He made his way to their Cat Cave, after he couldn't reach the blond on the phone or in the office. When he finally found him, Adrien immediately got a hit to the back of his head.

“What's that? What have you done, fool?" He asked anger in his voice.

"Plaaaaaaagg." Whined Chat, before he dropped the transformation and peeled off his clothes despite Plagg's presence.

"I... I don't know what I've done or why, but can we talk after I take a hot shower? I'm freezing."

"Don't pretend you're about to die! You've gotten a little wet and you've got to blame it on yourself, it would be much healthier if you took care of your own affairs, instead of playing the hero!" Plagg complained but had already sat down on the couch. Adrien opened the top button of his shirt to slip it over his head and immediately he got out of his expensive pants, dressed only in boxer shorts, and wandered into the bedroom.

"What should I have done?" He exclaimed from the bathroom, waiting for the water to warm up. "I couldn't let her or the little girl down... they were in danger." Adrien knew that was no excuse. Such things happened and so far, such tragic accidents have simply taken their course without heroes intervening to save the people. Heroes ... he snorted. As if he was one of them. He was a thief.

The blond-haired spent a while in the shower until he was sure that he had thawed again and then, wearing a thick bathrobe, came back to Plagg, and sunk onto the sofa. His attitude was like that of a beaten dog. The older man glared at him sourly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sure, you could have done that, but that's what I meant, you should stay away from Marinette, she'll crash you into ruin. Maybe not on purpose, but you see what all this leads to. She's a carnivorous plant and you're the fly." Plagg tried to make a comparison.

"It was not her fault that the accident happened, and she isn't the one to blame, so what if I did a few involuntary swimming exercises. She didn't say 'Hey Chat, grab that little girl and then let’s swim a few rounds!” He grumbled, then sighed softly. Plagg seemed to have no good words to say about her, but where did his grudge against the woman come from? Adrien couldn’t tell. Maybe something happened at work?

On the table in front of them were already two bottles of beer, of which Plagg handed Adrien one, sighing. “No, she didn't, and yet, you were there. Did it really matter if she called you or not?" He asked in a serious voice, then shrugged. After all, Adrien was old enough and yet he saw him making the same "mistakes" as many of his predecessors did. For a long time, he couldn't be angry with him. For him, Adrien was still a boy. Maybe even his boy. He himself with his many lives, which he already had behind him, was rather the old man. But he also had a wealth of knowledge for that.

"You'll kill me one day, you know that, right?"

"I know... and I'm sorry."

"Why are you not looking for another love other than the Inspector?"

Silently, Adrien rolled the beer bottle between his hands until Plagg came to speak of a love affair. Immediately he felt the blush rise in his cheeks and looked to the side. "I can't do that! Marinette is a great person and I can’t just mess around with anybody else." His voice had become a soft murmur. "And don't worry... we both don't even have time to see each other, how is it going to happen... and she's still a cop and I'm a thief, so that doesn't even fit in the first place." And maybe that's why she made him feel that way.

“Oh Adrien, I know there already is something. Otherwise, you would hardly react in the way that you are doing right now, but I still think you need to find someone with whom you really can have some good time, because you're just a man too. And if you use a little of your Chat Noir charm, you’d probably find a girl faster than you can count to three. Women always want to be conquered.” The man paused in thought for a moment, “It's like my boss, I don’t know if you noticed her when you were at the police station the other day.” he began, grinning.

“Oh God please... Plagg, I don't want to talk about this topic!" Adrien rolled his eyes and whined softly. "Marinette is not a woman you just want to get into bed! Not that she's unattractive! It's just... I want to take it easy, it's not just a one-night stand. I don't want another girl, I'm not even sure if I want Marinette... " The indignation was clearly heard in his voice and he snorted softly and tried to change the subject by talking about Plagg’s Boss. "I'm not sure..." Adrien mused but could not assign a face to the woman Plagg was talking about.

He had always thought Plagg would be someone who had no interest in anyone, except perhaps his chosen holder of the cat miraculous, so the information that the black-haired man now revealed to him, surprised him.

Before Plagg could poke fun at any women in his relationships, the blonde finally came to talk about the planned coup.

"The time has finally come..." Suddenly Chat Noir was in the room, the joyful anticipation of what awaited the black cat. Adrien couldn't stand to sit on the sofa and stare holes in the air. He started pacing up and down the room. The young man was not just Adrien right now, he was Chat Noir in Adrien's shape and the cat was too excited to sit still. How long ago was the last robbery? Weeks? Months? Chat could not say it exactly, but what he could say was that he had missed the thrill. Grinning assuredly, he turned to Plagg. "I can't wait, Plagg" he almost purred and his green eyes sparkled.

“It's just one of our many heists, you'll be able to get it over with no problem, as usual, and I will not give any information to the police until tomorrow afternoon, hopefully by then you'll have the bookmark in your possession. If not, we must wait for the next opportunity, we will not steal it from the Louvre, but it won’t run away either. " Plagg sighed and put the now empty bottle of beer on the table.

Yes, it was just one of their usual robberies, but it felt different since there was a certain lady who wanted to catch him. On one hand, innocent and sweet, and on the other, spirited, and confident of victory. A woman who united these two sides, thus, captivating him more and more.

"I'm going home, I'm tired, and you should do that too. The next days are going to be exhausting. Don't you think, a porn would help you to get your hormone balance back?” The black-haired smirked and his accompanying laugh was boisterous. “But seriously, listen, you should stop running after Marinette like a dog. She'll get you into situations like today." Plagg advised him and finally got up, slowly leaving the Cat Cave. He really didn't mince words. Sometimes he could be a real lout, but somehow, he was right and there was always a warning behind it. He never said anything just to hurt or offend Adrien.

The last words of his accomplice made Adrien blush and he buried his blushing face in his hands. "I don't need porn to calm down!" He shouted after him. What was he even thinking, that weird cat?


	7. Chapter 7

The blonde was so excited and restless for the next few days. He almost raged through his work like a tornado, even though on the morning after the accident on the bridge, he had the feeling that he had caught a cold the day before. Winter wasn't the best time to dive into the Seine after all.

He managed to work through all the things that had been stacked on his desk for weeks and yet, it was still a long time until the afternoon, so he allowed himself a little walk. A few rounds around the office building later, he decided to pay a visit to the small kiosk outside his workplace.

The newspapers there were full of the pictures from yesterday and maybe it hasn't been a good idea to visit the kiosk, because thanks to the pictures, the memories of that day came back to his mind, which he had successfully just ousted. Would he see Marinette tonight? Most likely, after all, she had threatened to capture him, so she certainly won't miss that chance. He stifled the rising sneeze and tightened his parka.

By noon he had hatched the perfect cold and sent himself home to rest and prepare for the last few hours. An hour before his heist, he transformed himself and jumped over the rooftops of the city until he reached the small private airfield to which the treasures were to be brought. He waited in the shadows until something stirred.

Half an hour later, a small plane landed, and a black van drove up to pick up the precious cargo. "The book..." Chat murmured and saw the first van take off. The second van approached, and Chat lowered himself quietly from his vantage point to its roof and lay flat on it as possible. They moved toward the plane and the cat waited until the bookmark had been released. Just at the moment when the flight attendant handed over the valuable estate, the thief sneezed.

"Bless you." One of the guards called and Chat sat up, a 'thank you' on his lips. All the men stared in disbelief at the roof of the van and suddenly it went haywire. "Chat Noir is here! Grab him!" A deep voice barked out, while another called to bring the drawer with the bookmark to safety. Way too late, since the thief had already grabbed the bookmark. The outbreak of turmoil had helped him to vault himself out of reach with his Baton. As fast as he had appeared, he disappeared and with him was the precious piece.

The black cat and his accomplice had made an appointment in the Cat Cave, so Chat’s way led directly there. Forgotten was the advice not to go here transformed, since he had not seen Marinette the whole day. What was wrong with her? Had something happened?

When Plagg finally entered her base, Chat was already lounging on the couch, letting the bookmark dangle from his finger. "It's not what we're looking for." He said, dropping his head back to the backrest. His heavy lace-up boots rested on the edge of the table in front of him. Another failure. Again, another useless thing in her collection, and no chance to help his mother. His head was roaring.

Plagg, of course, had heard on the news that Chat Noir had been successful again. A satisfied grin lay on his lips as he entered the Cat Cave and found his protege lying on the couch. Unfortunately, it was probably not one of the pieces they were looking for. A pity, but you never knew if the things Chat had stolen would contain one of his mother's soul fragments.

As the black-haired came closer and looked at Adrien more closely, he raised a frowning eyebrow. "Hey boy, you look really shitty, if I may say so, you should go home and get some rest," He advised, though it sounded more like an order.

"Nobody asked you for your opinion..." Grumbled the blonde, "And I was thinking of laying low here after the whole thing and not getting up until next week or so." He sneezed and then jerked his nose to get rid of the tickling in it. Luckily at least his nose wasn't running anymore.

"Your little inspector wasn't at work today either, apparently she's ill too, did you infect each other? I thought there wasn't a thing between you guys" Plagg inquired and disappeared behind a massive door just to come back seconds later with a plate full of cheese, sitting at the other end of the couch.

With a green glow, Adrien’s transformation disappeared, and he sat up. "I know... I had expected her at the airfield, but she wasn't there. In general, it was far too easy without her." He waved a bored hand. "Maybe it was just a lie, so I’d get scared and not even dare go near the bookmark, but like I said before, nothing happened between us! Until yesterday, I was feeling great, that's just a stupid coincidence!" When Adrien saw what the other man conjured up behind the door, he was glad that he had caught the cold, because at least he missed the smell of the stinky cheese.

"The police station was in a very bad mood, especially the special department, which is responsible for your case, has complained a lot today. I think Marinette will be in the same mood, after all, she has just taken over the case. Already, it's the next robbery and she is sick in bed." Plagg found it more amusing than anything else and chuckled slightly. You couldn't expect pity from him. After all, pity wouldn't change a thing and the less officers available for the persecution meant better chances for them to get what they wanted.

"I can imagine. It has never been different. They're always in a bad mood after one of my heists." The blond shrugged, and the vibration of his cell phone caught his attention. He was silent for a moment and then jumped to his feet. "Let's talk tomorrow, I have to go." The news had come from Alya, who asked him to pick up some soup for Marinette in a restaurant and bring it to her, since Alya herself was prevented. Of course, Adrien couldn't say no.

Luckily, his car wasn't far away. He would have to ask Plagg to build a garage or something like that in the bunker. At some point he would attract attention, if always the same car, of which there were not many in Paris and especially not in dull black, would be here in the area.

Before Adrien drove past Marinette, he asked Alya for the address of the restaurant where, to the surprise of the blond, Alya's mother was working and picked up a pot of chicken soup there. Marlena also suggested to him to treat himself to some of the soup, in her opinion he was far too thin, and he didn't look healthy. He thanked her for the soup and the well-intentioned advice and continued his way to Marinette.

Just when he wanted to ring the doorbell, the door opened and one of the residents was so kind to hold the door for him, so he could enter. The blonde thanked him and looked around the hall before climbing the stairs and stopping at each door to look for a doorbell with Marinette's name. When he finally found it, he pressed the bell button and waited.

Wrapped in pajamas and a blanket, Marinette opened the door and looked at him with wide eyes. She recognized the container in his hands immediately. The packaging had the emblem of the restaurant where Alya's mother worked. So, Marinette knew exactly what was going on and who had sent Adrien there. She shook her head, sighing.

Although he could see that Marinette was ill, her sight made his heart beat faster. For a moment, he thought the sigh was for him, but he quickly realized that he was more because of Alya. "Hey." He croaked, his voice was as if the air had been cut off. He cleared his throat and looked at Marinette with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry if I'm here to bring you the soup instead of Alya, but she said she was very busy and you were sick. So, I thought it would be okay if I brought it to you, if you want I'll can leave right now."

"Hey… So Alya has found a way to try and be the matchmaker again, but don't worry. Come in." She started and then opened the door wider. His eyes slid through the living room as he walked inside. The couch was littered with more blankets that Marinette had probably peeled off before she had answered the door. Tea and fruits rested on the small coffee table and the TV was paused. Obviously, she had been watching a movie. After handing the bowl to Marinette, he didn't know what to do with his hands, let alone his eyes, so he followed her with his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to be too curious. Her flat was small, if not tiny, compared to his mansion, but it all seemed so much homier than the cold building he called home.

"I'm sorry you had to pick up the soup, especially since I absolutely don't want you to catch a cold yourself." But as soon as she had finished her sentence, she noticed that Adrien didn't look well too.

"I was still on the road anyway... because of work, you know, self-employed means a lot of work even at the worst times.”

"You probably caught something too." 

Embarrassed, Adrien rubbed his hand over his neck and looked to the side. "I think that's just too much work. This will be gone soon."

"Have you already had dinner? We could share the soup? Mme Césaire gave you more than enough for two people to eat and her chicken soups are true miracle cures for infections." Marinette began to tell, and only after she did mention that they could share the soup, he realized how hungry he was. The last thing he had eaten was a sandwich for breakfast, after which he was too busy to even think about food. Not that he wasn't used to it.

"I won't mind." He finally confessed and smiled slightly.

He had, in the meantime, gotten rid of his jacket and hung it on the wardrobe that he had discovered when entering the hallway. He was now leaning on the door frame, watching her get rid of the mess in the living room for a little longer. He stepped aside, so she could get into the kitchen, to the soup she had left there.

"You've probably heard about the thing with Chat Noir, right? And of course, I have to get sick right now" She grumbled to herself.

"Yeah, I've heard of it... Maybe it just wasn't supposed to be this time, but I'm sure you can do it next time." When he testified that it just wasn't meant to be her time, she shrugged.  
The blonde came to meet her and took the two bowls from her, while she searched in the drawer for spoons.

"Do you like ginger tea with lemon and honey? Also, a small miracle cure for colds." She asked and put everything on the small table in the kitchen. There was just enough space for two people and she sat down, beckoning him to join her.

"Ginger tea sounds good. If I'm not drowning myself in liters of coffee, I prefer tea." He probably found a taste for it during his time in Japan and since then he had been a fan of all kinds of tea. The Japanese cuisine was something that Adrien loved to eat. Marinette had lifted the lid from the soup. "I've heard about how good Mme Césaire's food is, since Nino keeps raving about it but the smell itself is just amazing."

"Yes, she really does cook well. It's quite practical to have a cook in the family, although Alya used to complain a lot about her having been at home so rarely, working weekends and evenings is normal for catering jobs I guess." She shrugged and finished dishing out the soup.

"Not just for gastronomy professions." He mumbled, thinking of his father, who had never really been home and instead had always sent his secretary to accompany the two boys on important occasions, because Gabriel Agreste, once again, had no time for his sons. But the blond didn't want to think about his father right now, after all, he was here, with Marinette! In her flat. Alone. He sat down on the chair opposite her and looked at the hot soup in front of him, hoping that she had no telepathic abilities to read his mind.

When they finally started to eat, there was an awkward silence. A little uncertain, the dark haired one looked up at Adrien again and again. It was strange, now she was sitting here with the man who had her firmly in his claws and was sick. The coffee she wanted to offer him on their last date would have been much better than sitting sick right next to such a nice and good looking guy.

"Don't you think it would be better if you also get a little rest?" She asked, while she slowly ate her soup. It tasted great, like it always did. Adrien took a couple more spoonsful of his soup before he looked at her.

"I'm just taking a break, or do you see me working right now?" His cheeky grin gave his face a mischievous look. "Besides that, you should probably stop talking about my work, when your working hours are not normal either." The day had been exhausting for the blonde and after he had emptied his bowl, the fatigue that had previously been kept away from all the adrenaline and excitement of the day, spread throughout him.

When both had finished their soup, Marinette started to clear the table and put the dishes in the small dishwasher. The gentleman in Adrien was restless, he couldn't sit still for long and just watch her cleaning. So, he helped her by briefly rinsing the bowl to be able to bring it back to Alya's mother during the next day. Just as he turned, he saw Marinette stumble, clutching her hand around the counter, and his arm jutted out to her upper arm to prevent her from falling.

"Hey, are you okay?" Adrien turned her around and noticed how exhausted she looked. His green eyes reflected concern for the woman in front of him. "Come on, stop it and rest!" He led her to the sofa and pushed the blankets aside, so she could sit down.

"Yes, yes… I'm alright. It would take more than that to finish me." She tried to joke, but she was glad as he directed her towards the couch. Without resistance, she sat down on the soft cushion and pulled one of the blankets towards her. He squatted down in front of her and looked worried at her.

"Should I call a doctor?"

“I already saw the doctor, I really just need to rest.” She assured him, trying to give him a faint smile.

His hand moved to her forehead to check if she had a fever. "Your skin is burning hot, lay down and I'll get you a cold towel." His hand on her forehead was pleasantly cool and she followed his instructions and slid back on the wide couch until she reached the backrest. She put her head against it and closed her eyes for a moment.

After looking around, he went to a door and found, fortunately, the bathroom where he wet a washcloth and brought it back into the living room to put it on her forehead. Her household was perfectly designed for one person. A small hallway with cloakroom, bath with tub and toilet, an open kitchen and living room and her small bedroom, in which hardly fit more than a bed, closet and bedside table. There was a small desk with a laptop in front of the big window in the living area. It was cozy, and he already liked this place.

Marinette's blue eyes opened again, when Adrien came back with the cold washcloth, watching her for a brief moment. He couldn't leave her, not before he could be sure Marinette was doing well or she was asleep.

"Thanks." She warily whispered and closed her eyes again.

"You're welcome" His voice had become a soft whisper and he was tempted to stroke her soft hair. Before he joined her again, he got their teacups from the kitchen table and set them down on the coffee table in the living room.

"Maybe we should both rest now" She mumbled and continued to slide into the corner, so that there was more room next to her. He hesitated for a moment, then felt his own exhaustion and finally made himself comfortable beside her on the sofa.

Again, his eyes wandered over the young woman by his side and he wasn't surprised when she, after a few minutes, sank, sleeping against his shoulder. "That's certainly not comfortable at all Marinette..." He mumbled and moved a little so that he could put his legs on the sofa and her head was finally on his chest. He grabbed another pillow to stuff it under his head and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my beloved <3  
> I'm back with a new chapter for you :)  
> It's for ML Fluff Month Day 7: Recovery & Day 8: Late Nights.  
> <3 <3 <3  
> Have I ever told you, that I'm blessed with the best 'Team' you could wish for? Having Emmaleewhittaker working on IIWYs editing and AuroraLynne creating so much wonderful art I'm the happiest person ever. I never imagined people would love my work that much. -blessed-  
> Kudos to both of them <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Editor Note: Prepare to scream just as I did the whole time I read and edited this chapter -emmaleewhittaker
> 
> This chapter is for the prompts 'Early hours' and 'Bed sharing' of the Miraculous Fluff Month :)

The first thing he noticed was the warmth he held in his arms. Pleasant, not too hot and so incredible calming. The second was the sound of a vibrating phone, that didn't seem to fit the dream he had just dreamed. He stirred slightly, realizing that he hadn't imagined or dreamed the warmth next to him, when he spotted the dark-haired woman on his chest. The memories of the previous evening came back and his hand went to Marinette's forehead.

She felt cooler than the night before, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. The first signs of the morning fell through the curtains and Adrien knew that he would be late for work today, but he didn't want to wake the young woman next to him, especially since he enjoyed their closeness. His fingers pushed a few strands off her face that had probably gotten lost in the night, and for the first time, he was able to look at Marinette and all the little details that made her look amazing. Her long black eyelashes under which her blue eyes were always sparkling, the fine nose, which was a little flushed by the cold she had caught, her freckles on her cheeks and on the bridge of her nose, and her pretty shaped lips, which seemed like an invitation to kiss her. She was perfect.

A little later, he felt her first weary movements that made him aware that she was awaking. He gave her the time she needed and when her blue eyes finally looked up to him he gave her a smile that would have melted even an iceberg.

"Good morning... Have you been here all night?" She asked, confused.

"Good morning, I think so, at least I can't remember being away while I've been sleeping." His voice was still sleepy, and he cleared his throat before he chuckled softly. Her eyes fell on his hair, which was a mess. Laughing, she stretched out a hand and stroked his blond mane.

"You do credit to the term bedhead. I bet nobody would recognize you like this" She joked.  
His eyes followed her hand and he was surprised how easy it was for her to make physical contact, but it didn't feel bad at all and he wouldn't be the one complaining. She managed to fix his hair, while he enjoyed the touch with his eyes almost closed.

“The next time we go out together, I'll just go without getting my hair styled and we'll have a good time because nobody will recognize me." The idea alone made Marinette laugh.

"I hope your back is okay... The couch isn't the most comfortable.” she asked, stretching her tired body.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Your couch is much more comfortable than the one in my office." He laughed slightly and let her sit up.

"Then maybe you should get yourself a new couch, or you’ll have to visit me more often." She suggested and smiled teasingly, but as soon as she realized what she just had said, she blushed.

"Be careful, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, maybe I’ll accept your offer." Adrien definitely didn't mind. Last night had been one of the most relaxing ones he had in a long time and he could wake up every morning just like that. He decided to change the subject to keep her from more embarrassment. "How's your fever?"

"Much better! Thank you." She asserted, but Adrien didn't seem completely convinced yet. He raised his hand and he had wanted to put it on her forehead, but instead it had landed on her cheek as she had just lifted her head at that moment.

Suddenly the desire to kiss her was there. His green eyes looked almost pleadingly at the woman in front of him. He approached her, slowly, to give her time to retreat if she didn't want to, but it seemed she didn't mind the thought of kissing him either. The closer he came, the more Marinette's eyes closed, and her hand moved up his shoulder, to the nape of his neck.

The playful mood had given way to a tension that caused the fine hairs on his neck to rise. His hand dug into her dark tresses as her hands touched his skin. He bowed his head and was about to overcome the last few inches when his phone rang again, mercilessly and damn intrusive, on the kitchen table. "I think I should answer phone." He huskily breathed out but made no move to get away from her.

"Maybe," She replied in a soft whisper, her breath a light puff against his lips. Her answer made him smile against her lip. Finally his phone stopped ringing, but just as he was about to cross the short distance between them, the doorbell rang. He groaned and dropped his hand. It was as if they had been jinxed or simply not allowed to get what both of them wanted.

Although Marinette had gotten already halfway up, she dropped once more next to Adrien on the couch, one knee propped up next to his legs, the other foot on the ground and pressed her lips on his.

He hadn't expected something like this and Adrien looked as if he had just been hit by a truck. Just as fast as she had decided to kiss him, she pulled away to put on her bathrobe, which was still laying over the back of the couch and then went to open the door. He felt like he was being overrun by a herd of elephants and it took a moment for his head to follow the things that had just happened, while Marinette greeted someone at the door.

It was Sabine, her mother, who brought her some tea and pastries. Apparently, she had had time to leave the bakery. "Good morning dear," Sabine gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek and then nudged her back into her apartment. "Alya just called me yesterday and told me she was going to see you, so I didn't stop by, but you seem to be feeling better."

"Ah, Maman, it's you. Um, yes, I'm feeling much better." She confessed sheepishly, unable to stop herself from getting a little hectic. After all, it was her mother and now she had a stranger sitting on her couch. Of course, Marinette could do whatever she wanted, she was an adult, but she had never been a person who let a stranger stay at her apartment with her.

The older woman chatted cheerfully and only when they were already halfway to the kitchen, did she discover the blond man on the couch, who still looked a bit confused. A smile crept on Sabine's face and she looked at her daughter. So, Sabine definitely assumed that he was her new boyfriend.

"I didn't know you had company, but luckily I brought more from the bakery, assuming the young man wants to stay for breakfast." She gave the stranger a friendly smile and put the bag from the bakery on Marinette's kitchen counter. Adrien looked like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have done and cast an insecure look at Marinette.

"I'd love to, as long as it's okay for you."

"Don't worry, it's fine. By the way, I'm Sabine, Marinette's mother." The woman introduced herself. It was clear of which part of her parents Marinette had gotten her dark hair.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm Adrien, Madame... uh... Sabine..." He shook her hand while she still wore the smile of a sphinx on her lips.

The breakfast was less embarrassing than expected and the two ladies turned out to be a very amusing company. Sabine had nudged Marinette in her chair and was now in front of the kettle to make some tea. She cared for everything else too and soon they sat together at Marinette's table, drinking tea and eating breakfast.

"I'm glad you finally took a little break, even if your being sick is the reason." Sabine looked at her daughter and sighed. "I know you love your job, but you also have to pay attention to yourself." Marinette almost felt like going back to her teenage years. Her mother made her look down in embarrassment. Especially when she started to talk about how little free time her daughter allowed herself. Sabine's gray eyes fell on Adrien. "Don't you think that's bad?" The fact that she just asked Adrien for his opinion, gave Marinette a smirk. She really had to resist a laugh. Well, she asked the wrong person, he was the one who almost lived in his office.

"I think... it's… uh... not healthy in the long run." He tried to save himself and took note of her nod.

"Yeah, it's really not healthy, I know that, it's not healthy for anyone to spend more time at work than at home. But at least I'm not to one sleeping in the office." Marinette raised her eyebrows to Adrien, who was sitting next to her and responding to her jibe with an evasive look. "You must know Maman, I'm not the only workaholic in the room here, but you know how much effort you put into things you love, especially if it's a family business." And with that, Mari alluded to her parents, who gave everything for their bakery.

"It's not like I do it every day..." Adrien growled, rolling his eyes, with a pout on his lips. After all, it only happened occasionally, or at least not most of the year. "It is currently a little stressful. After all, some really important events are coming up." Events like Paris Fashion Week, which was about to start and was already giving him a headache. Marinette still wouldn't tell her mom who Adrien was. She wanted to leave this decision to himself. But maybe Sabine already knew who the blond man was. She was not nearly as blind as her daughter when it came to famous people.

"Where do you work?" Sabine finally wanted to know and turned her attention back to the blond man.

"I am employed at my father's company." He replied and quickly stuffed a piece of croissant into his mouth to avoid further questions. He looked for help in Marinette's direction.

"What I wanted to tell you when I got here," The Chinese woman began and sipped her coffee, "Dad won a contest, we can go to Italy for two weeks at the beginning of next month. Could you take care of the bakery, the apartment, and water the plants while I'm gone?"

"Maman, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you." Marinette congratulated her mother and leaned over to hug her. She remembered that her childhood home was a stone's throw away from the police station where she worked, she might even spend a few nights there during that time, so she could save time to get at work.

Adrien couldn't shake off the smile as he followed the conversation of the two ladies. It was so much different than when he was with his father. They talked and laughed, and the warmth and sense of security contrasted starkly with the cold that prevailed in the Agreste house. Once again Adrien's phone buzzed, and this time he had to finally accept the call. He sighed, apologized to the two women, and took a few steps away from the table.

"Agreste... Yeah, I noticed that..." He had walked to the big window and leaned his hip against her desk. As soon as he wasn't in the company for a few hours, everyone pretended that the ship was going down, but their problems were nothing dramatic.

Sabine studied the man and looked expectantly to her daughter. She would have to ask her about that man, but she would be able to wait. At least until they could talk in private. It was not long before Adrien ended the conversation with a sullen expression.

"I'm so sorry, I have to go. Sometimes I really feel like I have to take care of everything in this company." He sighed and turned to Sabine. "Thank you for the breakfast Sabine, I’ll have to stop by at your bakery one day."

The elder of the two Dupain-Cheng ladies smiled and nodded. “We'll be happy if you both come by." She looked at her daughter with a smile. Marinette had packed him another croissant and brought him to the door and when they were undisturbed for a moment he took her hands in his and smiled.

"Thanks for the lovely evening yesterday... And breakfast. I'll send you a message later." Before he came up with the idea to steal another kiss from her, he made his way out and to the company.

"You have a very friendly young man there" There it was again, that sphinxlike smile. "But I know his name from somewhere, I just can’t put my finger on it."

"Hm...? What?" The young woman startled and turned to her mother, who seemed to know exactly what was going on. “He's Adrien Agreste. His father owns Agreste Fashion. He's a well-known model too... I would be glad, if you could not mention that when we will visit the bakery. You know how... curious, Dad can get." Marinette asked pleadingly.

"Oh Marinette, of course we will not ask him things he doesn't want to answer, but I can't promise that your father will not make any hints about your possible future together." Both women had to laugh at this thought.

Sabine helped her daughter to clean up the kitchen after they had finished eating before she had to go back to the bakery and her husband. Marinette, however, initially had no other choice than to rest and try to get rid of her sickness for a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally done with my cosplay and back from gamescom in cologne! The two days we stayed there had been great, even if I still feel every single muscle in my leg. I guess gamescom is better than any workout :'D  
> I hope you like that chapter as much as Emma did xD It was a lot of fun to hear her screaming on call while she was reading it.   
> Since I had a lot to do for gamescom chapter 9 will take a little longer to translate and edit. I'm trying to work on it ASAP but I can't promise any updates on IIWY in the next two or three weeks. Sorry folks :/


	9. Chapter 9

When Nino had told Adrien in the middle of the week, that they wanted to meet at the weekend for a double date, the blond made sure to take some time off from work.

It wasn't like he couldn't meet with Marinette whenever they both had enough time to do so, but the other couple had to go on a trip and Alya was already annoying the hell out of everyone. She clearly wanted to make them spend more time together and see how good her matchmaking skills were.

Somehow Adrien had to be thankful for it, because he missed seeing Marinette. One week without her already felt like an eternity and made him act like a lovesick idiot. It had been a long time since he had fallen head over heels for a woman, but Marinette was able to do so with ease. He couldn't quite tell why, but her presence in his life felt good and he wanted it to last. He hoped she felt the same way about him, but he wasn't in the position to ask her, since they haven’t started dating officially.

In the winter months the Tour Montparnasse offered a seasonal ice rink on the 59th floor and Alya had decided to take everyone there to go ice skating. It was the second year the ice rink was there and since she'd missed to see it the last time she forced everyone to go there this time, because she wanted to write something about it for a magazine. So the friends agreed to meet in front of the skyscraper.

Adrien and Nino had been the first to arrive there, while Marinette and Alya were still busy with getting ready for the evening, leaving both men waiting at the entrance for their girls.

It had gotten slightly warmer at day, but the evening was still cold enough to wear winter clothes and Nino was wrapped in a down jacket, earmuffs and a scarf, but he was still shivering, while Adrien was wearing a tight coat and the thick woolen scarf he just had pulled up to his ears. The blond was used to cold weather thanks to his alter ego, while Nino pretended to be freezing to death.

"I still don't understand how you can wear such clothes at this temperatures! I'm freezing by just looking at you!" Nino murmured and jumped from one leg to the other to keep himself warm.

“Seriously Nino, it isn't that cold! If you would stop being such a...“ The blond fell silent, when his best friend started waving at someone. Adrien turned his head to get a better look and noticed the women they've been waiting for. Marinette, in her bright red cloak, it was an interesting accent to the greys and blacks the other people were wearing and she clearly stood out of the crowd.

A shy smile flitted over her lips when she saw Adrien, and for a second none of them were able to say something until Nino broke their silence.

“Hey you two! You look great!” He greeted Marinette with a kiss on her cheek and pulled Alya in a hug to give her a proper kiss. “I don't want to rush you Ladies, but can we get on the rink please? It's cold!” He send a pleading look at the others, waiting for them to get into the warmth of the skyscraper behind them.

To make sure Nino wouldn’t freeze to death, they went into the building, accompanied by the bickering of Alya to her boyfriend. He still complained about the cold and about the fact, that he wasn’t made for temperatures like that, while Alya rolled her eyes and told him to put on another layer of clothes next time. 

Thanks to the late time they arrived, the rink was almost empty and there was enough space to skate without being disturbed.

Assuming you could skate.

Adrien realized he couldn't actually skate when he entered the rink and had to clinch onto the railing, so he wouldn't slip. Nino snorted at his surprised face and pulled him along the edge, away from the entrance.

"You can't skate?"

"I've never needed it before and you never asked me to go with you?" The blond grumbled as he tried to stand up, carefully, but slipped again.

'And cats are not supposed to be on the ice' He added in his thoughts.

Why had he agreed to join them? Right, because he wanted to see Marinette. A short glimpse in her direction was all he needed to make sure, that it was still the right decision to come here. He sighed softly and after another try he was finally able to stand upright.

For Marinette it had been ages, since she had skated the last time, but she was able to stand on her feet and actually move.

Quite in contrast to Adrien, who apparently wanted to hold on to the railing for the rest of the evening, but Nino grabbed Adrien's hand once more and pulled him away, further into the middle of the rink where Alya was waiting for them.

"Nino, what are you doing?" Adrien almost squeaked, while Alya helped her boyfriend by grabbing Adrien’s free hand, steering the blond directly into Marinette.

With a “Good luck Marinette.” from Alya, the couple let go of the blond’s hands and hid in a group of strangers.

It was a surprise for Marinette to see Adrien coming towards her, faster than he wanted to and it was clear that he had no idea how to slow down, so she grabbed his hands as soon as he was in range and allowed herself to be carried along by his momentum.

Finally able to stop them both, she sighed with relief and looked up at the man at her side.

“Need some help Monsieur Agreste?”

“Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng… I think I would appreciate some advice right now.”

Marinette was like his lifeline, which saved him from stumbling over the ice like a drunk, while she explained to him how he had to put his feet and move.

"Slow, bend your knees and stay low, it'll help you keep your balance. Push your feet to the sides to gain a little speed." She told him, then moved to his side. Nevertheless, she didn't let go of his hand.

Adrien was still damn unsteady on the runners, but thanks to her support more secure than before and they made slow laps as Alya and Nino rounded them again. The couple watched the two with great satisfaction and snickered every time they came near them.

"How was your week?" The blond finally dared to raise his eyes and look at her, and this time he stayed upright on the ice even without wobbling. His thumb stroked the back of her hand and even though there were two layers of gloves in between, he knew that she could still feel the little caress, her reddening cheeks betrayed her.

“I'm feeling a lot better. I'm going back to work on Monday.” It had been hard for Marinette to stay at home for almost a week. She loved her work and she knew, that they needed her there more than ever, since Chat Noir was still out there, but she didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about that thief right now. She was here to have some fun with her friends. “What about your week?”

"It was okay, not as bad as last week and soon, after Fashion Week, the stress will be gone for a couple of months."

The Fashion Week was more than important for the company and everyone was willing to work overtime for it, so it was clear, that Adrien had to be some kind of role model for his employees. Sometimes even a bad role model, when he’d spent the night at the office to get work done.

"Sounds like you actually can get some rest then.” She surmised.

It was something he had in mind for the time after fashion week. Maybe he even would be able to take a few days off. 

“That’s what I’m hoping for to be honest.” He intertwined his fingers with hers and held her hand tight all the time, unable and unwilling to let her go. Marinette gave him a short smile, but looked away. He could see, that something was nagging on her that she tried to talk to him about, but she still didn’t know how to tell him what was wrong.

“Adrien... I have to confess something…” she looked at him with apologetic puppy eyes and even if he didn’t knew what she had to confess, he couldn’t be angry at her when she gave him that look. “I told my mother who you are since she would have found out on her own who she's dealing with. But she promised me not to make a big deal of it... I mean... since we're not together or something like that." Her cheeks flushed and she almost stuttered the last words, while she was waving her free hand. “I’m sorry Adrien!”

He raised his brows in surprise. She really thought it would be a problem for him to let her mother know who he was.

“It's okay, Marinette, I don't care about her knowing who I am. It's not a big secret anyways and she didn't seem like someone you can fool that easily.” The thought of Marinette's mother made Adrien smile. That woman was a sly fox and it was clear, that she would’ve found out who he was sooner or later.

The rink was getting emptier and Adrien braver. He even tried a few meters without Marinette at his side and managed not to hit the railing when he finally stopped there, his back pressed against the metal. "If we ever going to repeat this, I should learn how to ice skate, so we could actually skate instead of me tripping over my own feet."

"You're not that bad.” She laughed, stopping next to him as he took a break at the railing “Everybody starts small." 

The other couple joined them a little later and they also used the railing to rest there for a while.

Alya grinned and nudged Marinette in her side. "So what about you two? I see, you're coming along quite well." She whispered, as soon as Nino had engaged Adrien in a conversation.  
“Em… I think so.” Marinette started, but she didn’t want to say more than she was supposed to do, so she looked uncertain at the blond at her side, who was still talking to Nino. 

The four of them moved on to the bar next to the ice rink, to warm themselves up with a cup of hot tea and while the evening passed on they kept on talking. 

“So back on topic. My senses are telling me, that you two have been meeting without us?” Nino surmised, adjusting his glasses as if he had to take a closer look at the two.

“Oh no, you’ve caught us, Sherlock!” Marinette gasped. “Adrien invited me for lunch and it was Alya's idea to ask him to bring me her mother's soup after all! So you’re right about that.”

"Well, Dudette, you could have told me that you're dating, but no you didn't... I'm... wounded.” He clenched his heart in a theatrical way. “I wouldn't even have told Alya...”

“Wait what? Nino!” The redhead pouted. “You have to tell me about their love life! It’s important!”

"You two don't have to know everything." Adrien laughed and put his hand around Marinette's hip with a cheeky smile as if to prove to the couple next to them that they were right in their surmise.

Alya still glared daggers at Nino until he finally gave in and promised her to tell her everything he knew. What wasn’t much, since Adrien hadn’t found the time to talk to his friend before this evening.

The times were he and the other man had been hanging around a lot had been over for years now, since both had to travel a lot for their jobs. They still enjoyed the evenings where they could play video games together all night long, but those had become rare and Adrien sometimes missed those evenings.

It was almost past midnight, when Nino looked at Adrien and Marinette, both snuggled up to each other. "Hey you two lovebirds, Alya and I didn't want to stay out too long, we still have to pack. What about you two? Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"If nobody sets the company on fire overnight, I'll be free." Adrien answered, but he probably should refrain from such utterances, because Nino's eyes sparkled in a scaring way.

"But if that happens you won't have to work for now and be able to have some days off, right?"

“It’s not that easy Nino. I think if something like this would happen, my old man would order me to go to London immediately and then it wouldn't take long and he would have the company rebuilt here, so in the end a pointless undertaking if you ask me.”

“You’re such a spoilsport Adrien.” He huffed and waved his hand to silence his friend, looking back at Marinette, who apparently could give him a better answer to his question.

"Well, I'm free. It's Sunday after all, but it's okay with me, if you want to leave earlier today." Marinette knew, how troublesome it was to travel with Alya and her luggage. She had way too much stuff she needed and packing things took her ages, so she wasn’t surprised, that they wanted to leave earlier.

When it was time to go home, Marinette and Adrien wished them a safe trip and the couples went their separate ways.

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, I'm back with a new chapter ~  
> Thanks to my top beta emmaleewhittaker <3 and my anonymous second beta <3


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